Clothes-washing machine



March 9, 1948- J. G. BECKER 2,437,636

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed June 2l, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATIDRNEYI Patented Mar. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHES-WASHING MACHINE John G. Becker, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 21, 1945, Serial No. 600,804

4 Claims. (Cl. (iS-184) My present invention, in its broad aspect, has to do with improvements in washing machines, and more particularly, it is my purpose to provide an improved and unique impeller mechanism for the washing fluid whereby a swirling or turbulent effect is given to such iiuid to thoroughly cleanse the clothes, and improved actuating and speed control means, whereby a multiplicity of gears and levers, and the like, are eliminated, and a ner control over speeds obtained to attain the correct speed for the work to `be done, and furthermore, my impeller mechanism is fully shielded and enclosed to be out of contact with garments being washed, thereby eliminating unnecessary wear. In addition to the above objects and advantages, I provide improved impeller blades which are curved longitudinally and have their ends formed to extend upwardly to follow the curved bottom contour of a wash tub so that the proper effect is given to the washing iiuid, and the enclosing or covering means for my impeller blades prevents contact of clothes while not interfering with proper circulation and return of washing iiuid and suds. My speed control is of the friction disk type, with the driven disk having beveled edge portions, and the adjustable drive disk operated by a rack to be moved by the speed control toward or away from the center of the driven disk to control speeds, and to provide a more noiseless and satisfactory way of adjusting speeds to the work at hand without the necessity of using multiplicity of gears and the like. My device generally improves upon the construction and operation of washing machines, and by the above and other means, I have attained a sturdy, practical, simple and eilicient washing machine which has no fragile or intricate parts likely to get out of order or become deranged or broken.

Other and equally important objects and advantages of my invention will -be apparent from the following description and drawings, and it is pointed out that changes in form, size, shape, materials. and construction and arrangement of parts is permissible and within the purview of my broad inventive concept, and the scope of the appended claims. A

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section to show the worm and wringer drive mechanism.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1:

Figure 4 is a top plan view;

Figure 5 is a detail partly in section of the friction speed control and drive;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the impeller cover or housing, and

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'I--l of Figure 6.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like or similar parts throughout the several views:

The numeral I designates the tub of a washing machine, which has an inwardly and downwardly beveled top flange 2 on which is hingedly supported as at 3 a cover 4. The bottom 5 of the tub is curved as at 6 and an outlet opening 6a is provided with a control spigot 1. The tub is supported on legs 8 connected near their ends and between the ends by reinforcing rods 9, and castors l are mounted on the ends of the legs and have attaching thumb screws II.

Attached to the bottom by bolts I2 extending through the iiange I3 is a depending housing I4, and attached to the bottom of the housing is a small electric motor I5.

Mounted within the tub I and resting on the bottom is a disked or concave hollow housing or guard casing I6 which has a top I1, a bottom I8 and side edges I9. The top has openings to permit suds and washing fluid to reach the drain 6a and the bottom edge I8 is curved to follow the contour of the bottom 5 of the tub and provided with openings 2I. The side edges are provided with a uniformly spaced series of vertical slots 2'2. Ears 23 are provided for attaching the housing or guard casing to the tub, and it will be noted that while the bottom I8 is uniformly curved, the top I1 is disked or concave on line broken at 24. Mounted in the housing or casing is my impeller which is carried on a vertical shaft 26 extending downwardly through the packing gland 2l and into engagement with the driven friction clutch and change-speed disk 28. Ball bearings 29 are provided between the packing and the disk.

The disk is of relatively wide diameter and has a hat top and a bottom which has a widely beveled edge 30 extending upwardly to the edge of the top. A drive shaft 3| is journalled in the housing beneath the disk and has splined thereto as at 32 for independent sliding movement only, a sleeve 33 having the friction drive element 34 formed thereon to engage the disk 28. The edge of the drive element is curved as at 35 to give improved, even contact with the disk and ride easily over the beveled edge 30 of the disk. The sleeve 33 has a groove 36 receiving a yoke 31 attached to a sliding rack bar 38 journaled in the housing and which is formed with hooked ends 39 functioning as stop to limit sliding movement. A pinion 40 engages the rack bar 38 and is mounted on a shaft 4I on the end of which is a hand lever 42. By moving the lever 42, the rack bar is moved to shift the friction drive element 34 toward or away from the center of the disk 28 to change speeds or to wholly disengage the element 34 from the disk to stop my device.

A pulley 43 is mounted on the drive shaft 3| over which is trained a. V-belt 44 to a pulley 45 connected with the motor i5 whereby the shaft 3| is driven to actuate the element 34, disc 28 and the agitator 25. The shaft 3| carries a worm 48 engaged by a gear 41 on the vertical shaft 48 to the wringer assembly 48. A casing 50 encloses and journals the shaft and is attached to the tub, and a housing 5| encloses the worm and gear so that all operating parts except the pulleys and belt are protected and concealed.

My impeller 25 has a. hub 52 and uniformly curved blades 33, the outer ends of which are formed to curve upwardly as at 54 to follow the contour of the bottom of the tub; by this formation a turbulent swirling formation is given the washing uid. In operation, the rotation of the impelier 23 forces the washing uid outwardly of the housing I6 through the slots 2| against the curved portion 8 of the bottom 5 of the tub I. The fluid thus impelled then iiows upwardly in contact with the wall of the tub until the force of the water drops, at which time it will descend downwardly against the top of the housing i8. The washing fluid. after striking the housing I8, flows through the openings to re-enter the housing i8, where it is again recirculated by the impeller 25. As the washing fluid passes from the slots in the side edges of the impeller housing or casing it effectively washes the clothes due to the flow of the fluid as previously described, thus the clothes do not come into contact with the impeller and a fine adjustment of speeds can be made through the friction drive and disk to suit the requirements of the particular work at hand.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation and advantages of my invention will be apparent, but it is again emphasized that interpretation of its scope should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a tub for the washing fluid, a unidirectional, rotatable pump impeller mounted cn a vertical axis and disposed in the bottom of the tub, a driven friction disk connected with the impeller, a friction drive element movable transversely across the face of the disc, means for actuating the drive element to actuate the impeller, means for moving the friction drive element to change the speed of the agitator or to disconnect the impeller, said means including a slidable rack bar, a pinion engaging the rack, and an operating lever, and the rack connected with the friction drive element.

2. I'he invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the driven friction disc has a beveled edge, and the friction drive element has a rounded contact edge engaging the driven disk.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the sliding rack is located below the driven friction disk, and the friction drive disk is splined to the drive shaft of the washing machine for independent sliding movement only, and is connected with the rack, and wherein stop means are provided on the rack.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein a housing is `provided for the friction elements, the rack, drive shaft and pinion, and on which the power plant is mounted, said housing being connected with the washing fluid tub.

JOI-IN G. BECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 108,060 Smith Oct. 4, 1870 1,707,083 Howcott Mar. 26, 1929 1,809,149 Szekely June 9, 1931 1,995,405 'Ihorley Mar. 26, 1935 2,157,695 Fulton May 9, 1939 2,174,787 Holland Oct. 3, 1939 

